


Fair Warning

by airspaniel



Category: Tin Man (2007)
Genre: M/M, Rivalry, Threats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-20
Updated: 2007-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-19 12:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/200923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airspaniel/pseuds/airspaniel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He can't say he wasn't warned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fair Warning

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here.](http://yumemiru-kikai.livejournal.com/14705.html)

Change was in the air. It was tense, electric, like the moment before lightning struck; and it was putting everything on edge.

Cain shoved his hands into the deep pockets of his trenchcoat, walking just a little bit faster. The meetings so far had been very productive, carefully kept clandestine even as the resistance gained strength. If Azkadellia wanted to take over the O.Z., they weren't going to make it easy for her.

The wind whipped through the empty city streets, whistling wickedly against the stone and glass of the buildings. Cain shivered despite himself. Soon he would be home and warm, Adora in his arms and Jeb in hers, and all thoughts of Azkadellia and the resistance would disappear for a few precious hours.

A glint of silver flashed in the corner of his vision as a hand lashed out from the shadows, and there was choking pressure at his throat and pain at his back as that shining arm pinned him by the neck, slamming him against the sharp brick of the alleyway.

"Long way off your beat, tin man," Zero's voice was cruel and mocking. "What happened, lose your way home?"

"Zero." Breathing was difficult, but Cain still managed to sound disinterested. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Me? I have a special dispensation from Her Ladyship. I'm on a mission here." his voice lowered conspiratorially. "You wanna know what it is?"

Cain narrowed his eyes. "Why do I have the feeling you're going to tell me anyway?"

“You got a smart mouth, Cain. Too bad I can’t say the same for that brain of yours.” He leaned in close, lips nearly brushing his captive’s ear, and Cain shuddered.

“Did you really think,” Zero whispered, “That Azkadellia wouldn’t find out about your little resistance? Your cute little plan to save the O.Z.; bring her down?”

Cain felt his blood run cold. They had been so careful; how could she know?

“Oh, she knows,” Zero laughed, answering the unasked question, his breath ghosting in disconcerting little puffs of heat against Cain’s skin. “We know all about you, tin man.”

The metal-clad forearm at Cain’s throat pressed him harder as Zero pulled back, leaning his full weight on that point of contact. He remained stoic, even as spots swam in his vision and his chest burned with the need to breathe.

“So this is your warning, Wyatt Cain.” Zero’s eyes were steel blue beads of hatred, piercing into his own from mere inches away. “Heed it well. A storm is coming, and you want to be on the right side when it does.”

“You mean your side,” Cain gasped weakly.

“I mean the winning side. You can’t beat her, Cain. So stop trying.” The arm at his throat pulled back and Zero ran his palm almost intimately down Cain’s chest. “Stop trying, or maybe you aren’t the one that gets the warning next time. How is that lovely wife of yours? Adora, right?”

Cain flew forward on pure adrenaline, fisting his hands in the black leather of the long coat and shoving Zero against the opposite wall. Zero’s initial noise of shock turned into breathless laughter, and Cain pushed harder. “You keep her name out of your mouth, if you know what’s good for you.”

Zero smiled rakishly. “I could always put mine in hers. I bet that’d be so pretty, hearing her scream for me; _beg_ me for mercy. Don’t you think that would be so sweet?”

Cain slammed the man’s head against the wall. “Don’t you _dare_ …”

“Or there’s always your son. What is he, eleven now? Plenty old enough to learn how to be a man. Old enough to…”

He didn’t have the chance to finish his sentence as Cain’s fist crashed into his face, splitting his lip and knocking him back. He spit blood on the grimy floor of the alley and wiped his grinning mouth with the back of his hand.

“Don’t get jealous on me, Cain,” he taunted. “I’ll be sure to save something for you.”

Enraged, Cain pulled the man roughly to his feet, once again throwing him hard against the dirty brick. He clenched his hands at his sides, fighting the urge to use his fists and take Zero _apart_ ; to beat him again and again until that smile fell away and he stopped laughing forever.

But the sick freak would probably like that.

“You stay away from my family,” Cain ordered, putting all the ice he could into the words. He stepped into Zero’s personal space, holding him against the wall with nothing more than his eyes and the hard tone of his voice. “If you go near them; if you so much as _think_ about them, I will kill you. And that is a promise, Zero.”

Zero closed his eyes, mock shivering, “Ooh, I love it when you get violent.”

Cain’s hand slammed into the brick, close enough to Zero’s face that the man flinched. The inch between them was filled with the scents of rage, leather and blood. “I’m serious. Stay away from them.”

“You got your fair warning,” Zero hissed. “So don’t say you didn’t know. Do what you have to do.”

Disgusted, Cain withdrew his arm, wiping the grit from the wall off his hand with the black leather of Zero’s coat. He turned on his heel, stalking back toward the street with a grim countenance.

The other man stumbled and followed him to the mouth of the alleyway. He didn’t try to catch up, merely leaned nonchalantly with his shoulders against the grey stone.

“Give Adora my best,” he called to Cain’s retreating form. The man stiffened and paused, but didn’t turn around, determined not to play this game. Not again; not right now. He would be home soon, and that was all that mattered. He could figure out what to do about the coming dark later. Right now, he just needed to hold his wife and son.

Zero chuckled to himself, watching Cain walk away. When the tin man’s silhouette was no longer visible on the horizon of the road, he turned and walked in the opposite direction to collect his men.

After all, he still had so many warnings to give.


End file.
